Mysterious Outer thigh pain

[Superdave]

Felt a slight pain outside of left thigh..very minor. Shovelled snow for 2 hrs..now when I walk abit
I get pain midway up outer left thigh..then surrounding area gets tender, sore, like burning. Felt 2x tiny lumps under skin by muscles.These are trigger points. Wouldnt go away with time..went to Fam Dr. Sitting in waiting room for 2hrs+ aggravated it and felt popping under knee. Dr had me sit on chair extend my leg, shoe on his pants, he held under knee and forced down top of knee. Next day pain 100times worse. Could not walk at all, sit, or stand. Walking brings out left thigh pain, then burning sens from area. Sitting presses on same area. Went top Hosp emergency they prescribed pain killers and referral to ortho. Sitting in hosp waiting room aggravated it. Had Physio Therapist visit at home and he tested leg says all the muscles ok.When I lay on back can extend leg fully straight. When I sit on chair, cannot lift leg much from Knee up. Also feel slight pulling (no pain) lower back left muscle) After Dr visit developed fierce sciatioca pain under knee, then thigh, then heel..that subsided few days later. Have to crawl on all fours. Also some soreness in cavity of left rear hip. Dr chked hip is ok. No disc or back pain.
After awakening in am muscles in calf 8under knees feel swollen, subsides later. Allergic top NSAIDS. Tried heat and ice..very slow healing. Main thing is when I walk or stand or sit those two
areas on outer left thigh begin to give pain then sore. The soreness after the pain spreads out
like in a 4 inch circle. If I press the two mini bumps it hurts. Used to take 6 hrs for pain to subside now 15 mins. I rest when I can. Physio gave me stretching exercises which only strained
hamstrings. What is muscle responisble for not being able to lift leg sitting but lying ok? Any suggestions would be most appreciated!!!!!

[Heidi]

Hi

This obviously isn't a simple muscle strain problem.
My thought is that it is all coming from higher up - either the lower back or buttock.
Have a look at this page: http://www.sportsinjuryclinic.net/cybertherapist/back/buttocks/piriformis.htm

This may explain why you get more problems in sitting, as in this position the sciatic nerve is on stretch and you are applying pressure directly to this area!

[Superdave]

Heidi a Physio therapist believes it is from the L5 nerve root and sacro iliac joint (lumbar 5 root)
he applied pressure around the piriformis muscle and recommends tennis ball treatment, plus hot bath on back with knees bent, plus stretching exercises.